Hay-tedder



("No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

'R. G. UTTER.

HAY TEDDER. No. 372,344. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

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l U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH G. UTTER, OF FRIENDSHIP, NEWV YORK.

HAY-TEDDE'R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,344, dated November1, 1887.

Application filed March 26, 1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH G. UTTER, of Friendship, county of Allegany,and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Hay-Tedders,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for teddering hay which are operated byhorse-power.

I will describe in detail my improved haytedder, and then point out thenovel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective front elevationof a hay-tedder embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame, a portion of the frame being removed to more clearly disclosecertain parts. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views. Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview showing certain parts of the m achine, certain other parts beingomitted which might otherwise tend to obscure the parts illustrated.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A A designate the main wheels of the machine, mounted loosely upon anaxle, B, journaled in suitable hearings in side pieces, B, of the mainframe of the machine. These wheels act as drive-wheels for the machine.The hubs of these wheels are recessed upon their outer sides to affordspace for ratchetwheels (I, rigidly affixed to the ends of the axle B.Springactuated pawls b, pivoted upon the hubs at the rear of saidrecesses, are adapted to engage the ratchets a. WVhen the machine ismoving forward, the pawls operate to lock the axle B and the wheels AAtogether, and they rotate together, thereby imparting motion to theteddering mechanism, as hereinafter to be more fully described. When themachine is moving backward, the pawl's play freely over the teeth of theratchet-wheels,and no motion is imparted to the axle B.

' Upon the axle B, adjacent to one of the wheels,(here shown as thewheel A,) is mounted a gear-wheel, C. This gear-wheel meshes with apinion, D, keyed to one end of ashaft, D, journaled in suitable bearingsin the side pieces, B, of the main frame. The pinion D is, as shown,outside the adjacent side piece, B. Inward of one of the side pieces,13, a

Serial No. 232,478. (No model.)

sprocket-wheels, I, around which pass sprocket-chains F, also passingaround the sprocketwheels H Motion is thusimparted from thesprocket-wheels H to the sprocketwheels I. The sprocket-wheels I aremounted upon studs extending from the sides of bars J, near the frontends of the latter. These bars are loosely hung at their rear ends uponthe shaft H inward of the sprocketwheels H They are therefore free to beswung up and down upon the shaft H.

The sprocket-wheels I H transmit motion to an endless carrier comprisinga series of rakes, L. These rakes L consist of a series of fingers, I,which are affixed to bars Z extending between and secured to the chainsF. Cross-slats L also extend between the chains, and are locatedintermediate of the rakes, whereby hay which may fall down from therakes as theearrier travels upwardly will be caught and prevented fromfalling through. The fingers Z are, as shown, coiled near the ends,where they are secured to the bars 1?, in order that their resiliencemay be increased.

I have stated that the bars J may be swung up and down. Ieffect this, ashere shown, by means of a lever, J secured near one end to a rod, 9',extending between the side portions of the frame of the machine. Uponboth sides this rod extends outside of the side portions of the frame,and is provided with crankarms 3' which have a loose connection withrodsj, which latter are in turn loosely connected at their lower endswith the journals of the wheels I. The upper portion of this leverextends into a position near the drivers seat J in such manner that itmay be grasped and moved by the driver to raise or lower the forward endof the carrier, as shown. The carrier is thus raised and lowered for thepurpose of accommodating it to unevenness of ground or avoidingobstructions.

Of course, instead of using a lever to be op cratcd by hand, onesuitably arranged to be operated by foot might be used. In theconstruction shown a ratchet, j'", is employed to secure the lever indifferent positions.

I prefer that the side frames of the machine shall be provided withscreens P, by which the hay will be prevented from falling upon thegear-wheels outside the frame.

The sprocket-wheel E is adapted to be moved to and fro on the shaft D,in order that when desired said shaft may rotate freely withoutimparting motion tothe sprocket wheel E,and thereby avoiding thetransmission of motion to the endless carrier. A convenient means foreffecting this I have shown in Fig 4,which consists of providing saidshaft for ashortdistance with a longitudinal feather or rib, and the hubof the sprocketwheel E with a correspondinginternal groove adapted toreceive the feather or rib. \Vhen the feather or rib is within saidgroove,motion will of course be transmitted from the shaft to thesprocketwheel; but when the sprocketwhecl is moved into such a positionthat the feather or rib no longer engages the groove the shaft willrotate freely.

In this machine all parts are positively driven, and being few in numberthe ma chine is very cheap and easy of construction, while at the sametimc,owing to the construction and arrangement, it is not liable to getout of order.

I have filed an application for United States Letters Patent forimprovement in haytedders, Serial No. 208,925, July 2-t, 188i). In saidapplication I show an axle, upon which driving-wheels are mounted, anendless carrier, sprocket-wheels for transmitting motion to the endlesscarrier, gearing for tansmitting motion from the axle to thesprocketwheels, sprocket-chains comprised in the car rier,sprocketwheels mounted upon stud-axles at the rear of the driving sprocketwheels over which said chains pass, independentlyswinging bars,sprocket-wheels mounted in said swinging bars at or near the forwardends thereof, over which said chains also pass, and mechanism forimparting vertical movement to the swinging bars. In said application Ialso show an endless carrier comprising chains and wheels over whichsaid chains pass, certain of said wheels being mounted in swinging barswhich are independent of each other, and levers whereby either of saidbars may be swung up or down independently ofthe other.

I do not herein lay claim to either of the foregoing arrangements andcombinations of parts specifically.

IVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In a hay-tedder, the combination,\vith d riving-wheels, of axles uponwhich said wheels are mounted, the gear-wheel C, shaft D, pinion D,mounted on the shaft D, the sprocketwheel E, also mounted on the shaftD, the shaft 11 to the rearofthe shaft D,thesprocketwheel H, mounted onthe shaft I-I,the sprocketchain I'l ,passing round the sprocket-wheels EH, the sprocket wheels H, mounted on the shaft H, the bars J, looselyhung upon the shaft II at their rear ends, the sprocketwhecls I, mountedon the bars J at the forward ends of the latter, the sprocket-chainsF,extending about the sprocket-wheels H and I, and mechanism,substantially such as described, for imparting vertical motion to thebars J, substantially as specified.

\Vitnesses:

A. F. Doxsox, GEO RUE 0. W A RINGTON.

